Carpet-carrier for sewing-machines.



UNITED STATES" Patented September 29, 1903.

' PATENT OFFICE.

CARPET-CARRIER FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 739,856, dated September 29, 1903.

Serial No. 1 5 1, 8 l 2. (No model.)

To (ZZZ whom it may concern: V

Beit known that I, J OHN W.GoRnoN, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Spring-1 field, in the county of Sangamon and State ofmatched edges of carpet to be sewed, the car pet being held by gravity in contact with a gage or guide on the sewing-machine in position to be fed horizontally through the seW-' ing-machine by the feed device of the sewlug-machine; to provide means for connect-1 ing the carpet with the carrier-frame, so that the weight of the carpet will serve to'keep the edges of the carpet which are to be united by the seam in uniform contact with the gage guiding the movement of the carpet through the sewing-machine; to provide means for stretching the carpet on the carrier-frame; to provide means for counterbalancing the weight of the carrier-frame and the carpet carried thereon, so that the feed device of the sewing-machine with which the carpet-car rier is used will substantially suflice to propel the carrierframe and feed the carpet through the sewing-machine; to provide a track and supporting structure of novel and improved construction; toprovide a carrierframe of noveland improved construction, and to provide a gage of novel and improved construction adapted to turn toward each other the edges of the carpet being sewed, so that the needle will go through the edges of the carpet slantingly and draw the edges together instead of sewing through and through the carpet and also adapted to press the pile outward between the edges of the carpet, so that the pile will not be'caught in the seam.

With these ends in view myinvention consists in the novel features of construction and combinations of parts shown in the annexed drawings and hereinafter particularly described, and finally recited inthe claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view .of the complete apparatus and shows in outlinea sewing ma'c'nine inoperative relation totheapparatus. Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the carpet-gage, and Fig. 4 isaver tical section on the line 4 4. of Fig. 3.

Similar reference letters designate like parts in all of the views. 7

My carpet-carrier may be used with any ordinary sewing-machine, straight or zigzag, without any ohange in the sewing-machine and without interfering with the use of the sewing-machine for other purposes.

The apparatus is primarily intended for use in sewing carpets, but obviously may be used in sewing other fabrics too heavy to be conveniently manipulated by hand, such as tents, awnings, &c., r

The carrier-frame A is preferably made of gas-pipe and has horizontalmembers a, ver= tical members a, and brace members a all separably connected bysuitable couplings a to form a frame, substantially as shown. Truss rods a give rigidity to the frame. Grooved wheels A are, journaled on the up per end of standards A ,.wl1'ich are suitably secured to the frame A.

The carrier-frame is made in separable sections, as described,for convenience in handling and packing same for transportation and storage. A grooved wheel or spool A is se cured to the shaft of a crank A", which is mounted to turn in suitable bearings on one of the members a. A ratchet-wheel A on the crank-shaft is engaged by a pawl A to prevent the shaft from turning backward. A clip a or other suitable hook or catch for holding the edges of the carpet O-is-connected with one of the members a,.and a-sim ilar clip is connected with the spool A by a cord carpet the turning of the crank will wind the cord on the spool, so as to stretch the carpet between the clips, and the pawl will hold the spool and keep the carpet stretched. Arms A secured to the frame, project rearwardly at right angles to the frame. ,Cords a", se-

a, so that when the clips have hold of the.

cured to the outer ends of the arms A have at their lower ends clips a which engage on and hold the carpet. On the cords a are keys (1 for shortening or lengthening the hitch of the cords, so as to adjust the height of the carpet above the floor.

The track B is supported on brackets B. The wheels A travel on the flange-plate b of the track B. This construction permits slight oscillation of the carrier-frame under the track. In practice the carrier-frame runs slightly out of plumb, so that the carrierframe and its load gravitate to keep the stretched edges of the carpet being sewed in uniform contact with a gage on the sewingmachine used with the apparatus.

A stationary bracket D has near its front end a swivel-block d, carrying a sheave d. A cord D has one end secured to the bracket D. The cord passes around the sheaves d and CF, and the other end of the cord is secured to the frame A. A weight d is suspended from the sheave (1 The weight ci is adapted to counterbalance the frame A and its load, so that very light pressure will suffice to move the frame in either direction on the track. A spring or other suitable counterbalancing device may be substituted for the weight without departing from my invention.

In the drawings I have shown brackets for supporting the track and the tackle carrying the weight (i These parts may, however, be supported by rods suspended from the ceiling of a room or by any other suitable support without departing from my inventiou.

The gage E has a concave inner surface 6, an upturned lips, and a slotted extension e A corrugated V-shaped wheel E turns loosely on a vertical pin 6 The wheel E serves to press the pile out from between the edges of the carpet in sewing pile carpets, as hereinafter explained. The gage is connected with the sewing-machine in the usual manner by a screw passing through the slot in the extension 6 The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The widths of carpet to be sewed are first placed face to face and the figures carefully matched. The ends of the matched edges of the carpet are then securely caught in the clips a respectively. The crank A is then turned to wind the cord 0. on the spool A thereby tightly stretching the edges of the carpet, as already described. The clips a are then fastened on any convenient part of the carpet, and the keys or are adjusted so that the cords a will support the carpet at the desired height. The gage E is then adjusted on the sewing-machine F, and the sewing-machine is secured in such position that its feed will be parallel to the line of travel of the carrier-frame, and the surface e of the gage will be a little bit behind the line of travel of the carrier-frame in order that the weight of the carrier-frame and its load will tend to press the stretched edges of the carpet against and keep them in uniform contact with the inner surface e of the gage, thereby uniformly pressing the edges together, so that in sewing the needle instead of passing the thread through and through the fabric will pass the thread slantingly through both of the incurved edges, thereby forming a seam which will lie flat when the carpet is spread. This feature of producing incurving of the edges of the carpet by means of the pressure of the weight of the carrierframe and the carpet supported thereon against the concave surface of the gage is of great practical advantage and is of the essence of my invention. The carpet being matched, stretched, and swung and the sewing-machine and gage being set as described, the sewing-machine is started, whereupon the feed of the sewing-machine will feed the carpet through the sewing-machine and assisted by the weight 01 will propel the carrier-frame on its track.

When the carpet is of greater length than can be stretched on the carrier-frame at one stretching, one section or part of the length of the carpet may be stretched and sewed and then the next section, and so on until the whole is completed. It will be seen, therefore, that with a short carrier-frame-say twelve or fourteen feet in length-a seam of any length may be sewed by making repeated hitchings of the carpet on the carrier-frame.

In sewing carpets. having no pile or very lightpile the wheel E is unnecessary and may be detached by removing the pin e In sewing heavy pile carpets I prefer to use a gage having a serrated wheel E. Such a gage not only incurves the edges of the carpet, so as to produce a slanting seam, but also presses the pile out between the edges of the carpet, so that practically no pile is caught in the seam. This feature is new and of great practical advantage in producing a seam which does not mar the face of pile carpet.

In sewing straw matting or very light carpet, for which a very fiat seam is desirable, I stretch very tightly the edges of the carpet to be sewed together and run the sewing-machine with a comparatively loose tension, so as to produce a seam which catches only on the edge of the carpet or the selvage of the matting,.so that when the carpet or matting is laid the stitches will spread, so that the wear will come on the edge of the carpet or matting and not on the thread of the seam.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- r 1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a carrier-frame having horizontal members, vertical members, brace members and rearwardly-projecting arms; standards secured to said carrier frame,

grooved wheels mounted on said standards, a

crank-shaft mounted on one vertical member of said carrier-frame, a spool and a ratchetnected with said carrier-frame, and a Weight.

suspended by said cord and gravitating to propel said carrier-frame, as set forth.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a track, brackets supporting said track, a carrier-frame having vertical members and rearwardly-projecting arms, grooved wheels mounted on said carrier-frame and traveling on said track, said carrier-frame being mounted to oscillate under said track,

cords secured to the outer ends of said rearwardly-projecting arms and provided with clips, carpet-stretching devices at the lower ends of the vertical membersof the carrierframe, a sewing-machine in operative relationto said carpet-carrier, a gage on said sewing-machine in the line of travel of said carrier-frame, the position of said gage being such that the carrier-frame and its load will gravitate to hold the edges of the carpet stretched between the vertical members of v the carrier-frame, in uniform contact with said gage, and a gravitating weight connected to propel said carrier-frame on said track, as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name, at Springfield, Illinois, this 14th day of March, 1903.

J OHN W. GORDON.

Witnesses:

MARGARET MCDONALD, R. H. DOOLING. 

